The Battle of New York has become increasingly one sided this season. The New York Knicks continue to sit at the bottom of the NBA barrel while the Brooklyn Nets are surging to the postseason. The Nets are currently on a win streak, looking to make it five straight on Wednesday night, while the Knicks look destined for the No. 1 overall draft pick. Now Brooklyn has the chance to sweep the series for the first time in eight years while also strengthening their grip on the final playoff spot.
The Nets currently sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with every win counting as teams like the Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets and Boston Celtics also fight for position. The Nets lead the Celtics one-half game, the Indiana Pacers sit 1 ½ and the Hornets come in two games back. The Heat are in seventh place. This race will come down to the final games of the season. Currently in an 8-2 stretch, Brooklyn has won four straight including a key win over the Pacers on Tuesday.
Brooklyn appears to be operating on all cylinders at this point in the season as players like Brook Lopez, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson suddenly find their strides. Lopez is averaging 21.7 points and 8.7 rebounds in his past three games while Johnson is putting up 19.7 points and 6.7 assits in that stretch. Johnson had 22 points and eight rebounds against the Knicks back in December.
Meanwhile on the other side of the East River, the Knicks are looking to simply survive these last eight games as they wrap up one of the worst seasons in franchise history. They are fresh off a loss to the Chicago Bulls which extended their losing streak to seven games. While players like Langston Galloway and Andrea Bargnani try to stay motivated, the Knicks have their sights set on winning the NBA lottery for the top draft pick.
Players like Galloway and Bargnani are auditioning for future roles on the team. The forward is doing his part, combining for 39 points and 14 rebounds over the last two games. New York does not have many bright spots to look at this year, but getting the No. 1 overall draft pick might ease the pain just a bit.
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